Radio receiving device with distant control



Feb.. 10, 1931. E. F. ANDREWS RADIO RECEIVING DEVICE WITH DISTANT CONTROL Filed March 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l [nz/enZw" ZZ/wwd/fnarews Z; HILL/H 6 b 1931' E. F. ANDREWS RADIO RECEIVING DEVICE WITH DISTANT conmon Filed March 20, 1928 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb-10, 1931 UNITED STA E PATENT orrlca I EDWARD I. ANDREWS, Oil EVANS TON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO ANDREWS-HAMMOND CORPORATION, 01 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS mro ancmvme amen wrrn ms'raur conraor.

Application filed larch 90,1938, Serial No. 868,006.

My invention relates to a radio receiving set and particularly to a pprtable set wherein the entire receiving mec anism is mounted in a single readil movable housing. The

6 principal object this invention is to provide a structure for a complete radio receiver, totally different from current practice, which ma include a loud speaker, which shall be readi y ortable about the room or 10 house, which wilFstand directly on the floor, and which will at the same time locate the controlling and indicatin mechanism at a height convenient to the standing or reclining operator. A further object is to provide a set as above described which can be housed in a relatively small compact metal container which will be cheap to build and at the same time will lend itself to a pleasing decorative effect from all sides.

A further object is to provide a set of this character which may be connected to any light socketby a plug on the end of a relatively long flexible cable, which cable and plug may constitute the only connections necessary to operate the set, antenna and ground connections as well as power for the set being derived, if desired, from this single connection to the lighting circuit. A further object is to provide such a set which shall have its center of gravity located very close to the floor upon which it stands, so that it will have a minimum tendency to tip over if pushed or kicked.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in-the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is a vertical section; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and claims.

Referring to the figures, A indicates any suitable base member, herein indicated as a flat, fioor engaging element. Upwardly projecting therefrom, as at the corners thereof, are a plurality of vertical supports or rods A about which are positioned spacer sleeves of apertures B The sides B an thereof. Any suitable means may and of a sitting,

A which may be employed to support a pluralityof intermediate shelves or stories A A. B generally indicates fa, housing having the vertical sides B and the top portionB the top being made sound pervious by a (plurality I the top I? are preferably integral or secured together so that the housing may be removed as a whole. B indicates a handle for. said housing, herein shown as secured to the top ployed for securing the lower edge of the ousing sides B to the base A, such as the screws B. Upon removal of these screws the entire housing may be lifted as a unit from the base, leaving the entire internal structure fully accessible.

Referring more particularly to Figure 2,

I show as positioned at the bottom of the set, upon the base A, a transformer C, choke coils C condensers C", a rectifying tube C and a resistance C, constituting the A and B current supply means for the complete set. These units generally constitutethe heaviest portion of the set and by locating them immediately ad'acent the floor, I increase the stability 0 the device and its resistance to tipping. p I

Located on the shelf A, immediately above the power units and supported by the lowermost spacers A, is the audio frequency amplifier indicated as including the tubes D l) and the transformers D The detector tube D may also be positioned on this shelf. This location of the detector tube has the advantage of getting it further away from the loud speaker and t ereby decreasing the tendency toward the reaction between the detector or earl stages of audio amplification and the ion spea er, known as microphonic action.

Supported on the set of supporting sleeves A immediately above the audio am lifier and amplifying tubes E. The variable condens-- ers E which 'ma constitute the tuning means, are prefera ly mounted on a single shaft E with a pulley E at the end thereof.

be emtate manual rotation. The. drum H is mounted upon the shaft H which is carried in the bearings H. Upon the end of the shaft H is a pulley H". A belt H, consisting preferably of metal with a. spring adjusting means for keeping it taut, connects the pulley H to the pulley E, so that the rotation of the drum H will rotate the pulley E at substantially one-half speed, thus varying I quencies.

the shelf A the capacity of the variable condensers E and thereby elfecting the adjustment of the set to receive carrier waves of diifer'ent fre- It might be possible in some cases to eliminate the she f A and mount the apparatus shown thereon upon the bottom side of and projecting downwardly therefrom.

It 'will be observed that the top B of the housing is apertured as at H in order to permit the roj ection therethrough of the drum H. T eedges of the aperture may be provided withupwardly. projecting points or indicators H a ainst which graduations on the drumI-I may read.

Referring for example to Figure 3 this showsian alternative construction of the radio frequencyportion of the set, whereby each radio uency stage is contained within a shielded compartment. For instance the right hand compartmentmay contain the from. the succeeding stages,

stituting the first stage radio frequency transformer I, that section of the variable condenser E which connects to the transformer I and the radio frequency amplifying tube 1, these units together conof the radio frequency amplifier. The stage abovedescribed is separated from the adjoining stage, for example by the middle wall I, and in fact may .be'enclosed on all sides and b a metal wall so as to shield this stage so ar as possible except through the ampliiyingaction of the tube. In like manner thetwo succeeding stages may be enclosed in metal com artments. In some cases it may be prefera le to include the detectgr tube n the last compartment, indicated as Referring to Figure 1, K indicates a flexible conductive connection which is connected to or asses through the housing adjacent the floor evel as at Kflfieferablv immediately adjacent the floor. y. suitable plug K is mounted at the opgositeend of the cord K, i baingunderstao v1n a broad sense illustrative and that i t is adapted to be plugged into the usual electric lighting outets. It is important that the cord be connected to the housing at or very close to the floor level, in order imum tendency for cord.

L L indicate a switch and a volume con made in the size, shape, number and d1sposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as diagram inatic rather than as limiting me to'iny specific showing.

thatthere ma be a minanyone to trip over the' a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes might be The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I have described above a readily portable radio receiver which may be moved about from place to place in the room or in the house, and may be located close to the chair orcouch occupied by the operator, thus permitting the operator to tune in diflerent stations and adjust the set without arising.

The control means is located at such a height as to be readily o rable by the operator from a sitting, stan ing or reclining position. The device is adapted to stand at any point in a room, may be positioned away from the wall,'and presents a leasing a pearance on all sides. It is easi y control ed, and the setting of the indicatlng means may be ob-- served from almost an direction without the necessity of turning t e set around so as to face the operator. A handle is erferably provided, whereby the set can lie carried easily from place to place. cable attached to the set By plugging the into an electric lighting'outlet, 'all connections may be made that are required for supplying the set with signal which operates it,

For a readily portable set of this kind a certain type of structure is advantageous. A certain volume must be provided within the housing, to enclose various elements necessary the power devices and loud speaker. If a housing is built to occupy a considerable hoor space, then it will be either entirely toovlow to bring the control nisms to a convenient and actuation, or, if made much larger than is necessary to house the apparatus, and will be cor 'ondingly heavy, bulky and expensive. It is most'advantageous hei t for the control and indicating devices om the floor, or for power forits operation and for receiving the for a complete radio set including lieved that the present available, and by locating the power devicesin the base, may be given a very con-\ siderable degree of stability, It is thought preferable to make a portable radio receiver of this kind generally square or round "in shape. If the device is made relatively long and narrow in plan, then itwill have more stability, endwise', than necessar and will be relatively unstable, transverse y, unless it is made considerably wider than is necessary to supply the proper amount of space for housing the apparatus. It will also be seen that the weight of a device of this kind must be ke t relatively low, since otherwise it is porta le only by use of an amount of effort that detracts verymuch from its advantages.

It should be possible to car it comfortably free from the floor without exing the arm.

One advantage of the structure herein shown is the wide separation, or long air path, between the front and back of the cone. This is particularly important to give volume to the low notes since if the air compressed by a forward movement to the front of the cone were able to flow quickly into the evacuated space to the rear of the cone, then the work done upon the air would be less, particularly in case of the low notes.- It has been stated that for efiicient reproduction of the low notes, the air path between front and rear of the vibrating member should equal one quarter of whatever wave length of note-1s being reproduced.

In the device herein shown, the air path is of substantial length owing to the fact that the air vents employed in the sides of the housing 13 can be located adjacent thebottom of the housing.

The flexible cable carryin the'plug for m- ,sertion into the electric lig ting outlet may be attached to the housin by means of another removable plug, or t e cable ma pass through the housing at a point imme lately adjacent the floor. If the cable passes out at any appreciable distance above the floor, anyone walking by the set would have a much greater tendency to catch a toe in the cable and trip over it. There is an advantage inthe construction of a radio'set on a series of shelves, each shelf constitutin the base for a 1001 al d1- vision of. the ra' io. set. The power evices naturally go together. The radio frequency transformers, tubes and circuits are naturally associated with the tuning means. The audio frequency amplifier can if desired be logically associated with the radio frequency amplifier. This can be effected by mounting the audio frequency'amplifier on the bottom of the base supporting the radio frequency amplifier. The loud speaker is also logically a separate unit. Constructinmthe set in units of this kind which are held together one above the other b through bolts and spaces gives a considera le degree of flexibility to being possible to change the the design, it radio frequency amplifier without changing the rest of the set or to chan e any other unit without necessarily afiectmg its associated units. It is desirable not to put too much material on one shelf, as otherwise the dimensions of thatshelf becomes so large as to add unnecessarily to the lateral extension of the entire apparatus.

The drum form of control with the graduation's located on sloping sides is advantageous as it permits the most easy reading of the graduations from any position in which the eyes are located above the indicating means. If the set is built low as suggested the indicating means is always looked at more or less from above. If the tuning control is horizontal it is diflicult to read it from a low sitting or reclining position. If the indicating means is vertical it is diflilcult to read it from a standing osition. This drum form of'control also len s itself to being operated from any side of the device. Iclaim:

1. In a portable radio receiver, a columnlike container of substantially equal crosssection throughout its length, a hand operable indicating mechanism located on the top of the container and accessible for adjustment from all sides of the container and having a plurality of similar scales readable alike. from diametrically opposite positions atthe sides of the container, one or more of' said scales being also readable from directlyabove the container.

, 2. A small radio receiving a container elongated vertically whereby it, will occupy a minimum of floor spaceand be readily portable and a chassis including a sound reproducer and a plurality of thermionic tubes associated therewith one or morebeing arranged one above another in said container, said chassis substantially filling said container, a plurality of said tubes having their major axes parallel to the major axis of said chassis, said container providing a bafile effect between opposite sides of said reproducer and having a plurality of ap'ertures providing an air path between opposite sides of said reproducer, and mounting means associated with said chassis and carried in said container separating said tubes and set comprising sufiicient to provide mounting and operating space for said units whenarranged one above another, and a plurality of metallic shelves carryingsaidunits, one or more of said shelves bein removably mounted on said chassis one Ebove another in said container whereby each said shelf shields the receiver units thereabove from the receiver units therebelow. l

4. A radio receiving set com prising a base membenand a separable container consistin of a vertically elongated casing member, an

a complete radio receiver removably mounted on said base member at a plurality of levels one above -another in said casing member, said receiver substantially filling saidcontainer and cooperating therewith to render said receiving" set readil portable and said receiver including a mu ti-stage amplifier and tunin means therefor carried by said base mem member a-metallic horizontal shelf separating and shielding said amplifier and the tuning means from other receiver apparatus in said container, and radio control devices extendin above said elongated casing member inclu 'ng tunin control means operably connected with sai tuning means of said amplifier for tuning said receiver.

5.- A small portable radio receiving set com rising at 'verticall elongated chassis includm a plurality o thermionic tubes arran one. above another and separated by con ucting shelves, and a sound re reducer associated with said thermionic tu es, and a vertically elongated container substantially filled by the apparatus of said chassis and providing a separation between opposite sides of said reproducer, said container having openings therein separated'by the walls of said container to provide a bafile efi'ect.

s 6. A floor type radio receiving set comprising a column-like casing and a vertically elongated chassis separably carried therein and includin radio receiving apparatus substantially fi ing said casing, said receiving ap aratus including a plurality of vacuum tu s mounted vertically one above another on said chassis a pluralit of said tubes having their major axes para lel to the major axis of said chassis, and radio tuning control. means for said receiving apparatus extending above said casing.-

7. A portable floor type radio receiving set comprising a container, a chassis elon-.

- thermionic tubes arran the . tainer forming a afile havin 'handle atop r in said elongated casing.

v substantially gated in a vertical direction substantially lling said container, whereby the weight and bulk of the receiving set as a whole is minimized, receivin ert a detrimental e ect one on the other located at opposite ends on said chassis, said receiving devices includin other along the major axis of said chassis, one end of said chassis being positio'nedadjacent the floor, and control and indicating means at. the. opposite end of the chassis positioned on the of the arms of an. ordinary living room chair, saideontainer being of substantially uniform cross sectional area throughout its length and. having 8.

devices tending to exa plurality of I one above an top thereof at a height from,,. floor between that ofthe seat and that" ertures in its top for said control and m icating means, a loud speaker carried b said chassis, said conopenings in front of and behind said spea er-at a substantial distance from one another.

8. In a portable floor type radio receiver, a cabinet having its greatest dimension in a vertical direction, a similarly shaped chassis substantially filling said cabinet, a the cabinet and chassis for readil liftmg the receiver, a tuning control a so atop the cabinet and chassis, said handle and controlbeing locatedat a height between that of the seat and that of the arms of an ordinary living room chair, thermionic tubes and inductances mounted on said chassis and progressing from the top toward the bottom in accordance with'the weight of the associated inductances, tubes having their major axes parallel to the major axis'of said chassis, and a loud speaker, mounted on said chassis and employing said cabinet for its baflle.

9. A small and portable radio receiving set com rising a column-like container of equal cross sectional area throughout its height and having its greatest dimension in a vertical plane, a cone type loud speaker mounted in the top of said container with its cone on a vertical axis, a plurality of apertures in the top of said container .on one side of the speaker cone through which the sound from said cone will be directed upwardly, and a plurality of apertures in said container on the other side of said cone spaced substantially from the first mentioned apertures toward the bottom of said container so'that said container constitutes an effective baflle for said speaker, and radio receivin and amplifying apparatus including a p urality o thermionic tubes-mounted in said container.

1State of Illinois, t is 17th day of March,

EDWARD F. ANDREWS.

a plurality of said' Signed at Chica 0,;county of Cook and 

